Indiana University head swimming coach Ray Looze has been named the head men’s coach for Team USA for the 2018 Pan Pacific Championships in Tokyo this August, USA Swimming announced. University of Louisville head coach Arthur Albiero was named the women’s head coach.
“Arthur Albiero and Ray Looze represent two of the top coaches in our country, and we are proud to announce them as Team USA’s head coaches at the 2018 Pan Pacific Championships,†USA Swimming National Team Managing Director Lindsay Mintenko said. “They are leading a new generation of coaches, having proven themselves on numerous occasions with athletes swimming at the highest levels. We feel confident both coaches will continue to build and foster the strong culture of the U.S. National Team.â€
After leading the Hoosiers to a third-place finish at the NCAA Men’s Championships earlier this month, Looze was named the College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) Coach of the Year for the first time in his career. The nine-time Big Ten Coach of the Year helped the IU swimmers win three NCAA titles – the most for the program in 45 years.
“This appointment is a testament to our teams, staff and swimmers at Indiana University,†Looze remarked. “It is a great honor to represent one’s country and I look forward to coaching in Tokyo this summer. USA Swimming has set the standard of excellence in our sport and we will do our very best to uphold the fantastic results that have been achieved in recent years.”
The third-place finish for Looze and the Hoosiers at the NCAA Championships was the best finish for the program in 43 years. The top-10 finish for the Hoosiers at the NCAA Championships was the sixth in the last seven years. For the third-straight season, Indiana finished as the top Big Ten team at the NCAA Championships – the best stretch for IU since accomplishing the feat for 15-straight seasons from 1964-78.
At the NCAA Championships, Indiana won the 400 medley relay title with a Big Ten record time of 3:01.07. The relay title is the first for the program since 1977, when IU also took home the championship in the 400 medley relay.
Ian Finnerty became the first Hoosier man to sweep the breaststroke events in team history. Finnerty became the first swimmer to break 50-second barrier, winning the 100 breaststroke with the fastest time in history – 49.69. The junior then won the 200 breast with a Big Ten record mark of 1:50.17.
At the 2018 NCAA Women’s NCAA Championships, Looze helped Olympic gold medalist Lilly King win her third-straight NCAA crowns in both the 100 breaststroke and 200 breaststroke.
Indiana became the first program in history to sweep all four NCAA titles in the breaststroke in one season.
In February, Looze led the Hoosier men to the program’s second-straight Big Ten Championship, a first for the team since winning three-straight from 1983-85. The title was the 26th in program history.
At the Big Ten Championships, IU won a total of 24 medals – 14 gold, seven silver and three bronze. Indiana also won four of the five relays at the Big Ten Championships for a second-straight year – a program first. For his efforts, Looze was named Big Ten Men’s Swimming Coach of the Year for the fourth time.
The 2018 Pan Pacific Championships will mark Looze’s sixth appearance as a National Team coach. He most recently served as an Assistant Women’s Coach for the U.S. at the 2017 FINA World Championships and previous roles included Assistant Women’s Coach at the 2016 Olympic Games, 2015 World University Games Head Women’s Coach, 2014 Short Course World Championships Head Women’s Coach, 2011 Duel in the Pool Assistant Men’s Coach and 2009 World University Games Assistant Men’s Coach.
Only two years before the 2020 Olympic Games, the 2018 Pan Pacific Championships present a unique opportunity for National Team athletes to compete and experience the Olympic city prior to the Games.
Established in the mid-1980’s, the Pan Pacific Championships are held under the oversight of the Pan Pacific Swimming Association. The Association is made up of the four founding swimming federations – Swimming Australia, Swimming Canada, the Japan Amateur Swimming Federations and USA Swimming. These charter nations developed the concept of the swimming competition to provide their national teams with first-class international competition between the two major international swimming competitions – the Olympic Games and the FINA World Championships.
Swimmers will qualify for the U.S. roster at the 2018 Phillips 66 National Championships, slated for July 25-29 in Irvine, Calif. The team’s assistant coaches will be named following Nationals.
